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Geography
Geography of Spain Spain is bounded to the north by the Bay of Biscay, France, and Andorra; to the east by the Mediterranean Sea; on the south by the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; and on the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. In the south west the 13km wide Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain from Africa. Spain occupies about 85 percent of the Iberian Peninsula and is surrounded by water for about 88 percent of its periphery. Its Mediterranean coast is 1,660 km (1,030 mi) long, and its Atlantic coast is 710 km (440 mi) long. The British dependency of Gibraltar is situated at the southern extremity of Spain. The Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa are governed as provinces of Spain. Also, Spain administers Ceuta and Melilla on the Moroccan mainland. Advantages Owing to Spain’s fantastic location, it will bring large benefits to the development of Spain’s economy. According to Spain's geographical location, it is easily found that the location is strategic in marketing products to Southern European states such as Portugal, France, and Italy. Since Spain borders on several European countries, the cost of trade will be reduced a lot, and it will be quite beneficial to the local economy. What’s more, Spain’s geography and climate mean that different regions (dry, mountainous, coastal etc.) grow different types of crops, fish different types of seafood and farm different types of livestock. This means that Spain has one of the world’s most diverse menus, from ox-tail stew in the north to marinated pigs snout in the centre and fresh prawn salads in the south. Restaurants stock up daily on produce from the markets to bring us the freshest, healthiest dishes on the continent. Thirdly, the transportation from European countries and Spain will be more convenient and cost less time, which attract tourism and will make the trade more efficient and bring more profits the both countries. Disadvantages However, the fantastic location of Spain also has drawbacks. The most serious problem is that the mountains and deserts make farming difficult in higher regions; it will make the transportation and communication of such area more difficult and inconvenient, and will also restrict the development of Spain. A typical example is that the EU used a number of policies to help Spain catch up with the economic development of their European partners after 1987. Between 1986 and 1992 grants to Spain were worth over $3 billion each year, with 58 percent coming from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund. However, EU funds for improving transportation and communication in the region were, on the whole, used more effectively. The location of Spain on the geographical periphery of Europe placed it at an initial disadvantage, and it has had to work hard to overcome the problem this presents. Geography of the Philippines The Philippines comprises an archipelago of some 7,107 islands located off Southeast Asia, between the South China Sea on the west and the Philippine Sea on the east. The major islands are Luzon in the north, the Visayan Islands in the middle, and Mindanao in the south. The total area is about 300,000 square kilometres, including about 298,000 square kilometres of land and about 2,000 square Kilometres of water. The Philippines stretches about 1,850 kilometres from Y’Ami Island in the north to Sibutu Island in the south and is about 1,000 kilometres at its widest point east to west. The bulk of the population lives on 11 of the 7,107 islands. The Philippines has no land boundaries. Nearby neighbors are Taiwan to the north, Malaysia and Indonesia to the south, Vietnam to the west, and China to the northwest. Advantages Compared with Spain, the Philippines have much close connection to Asian countries, like China, Malaysia and Indonesia. Since the Philippine archipelago lies in Southeast Asia, it is in a position that has led to its becoming a cultural crossroads, a place where Malays, Arabs, Chinese, Spaniards, Americans, Japanese and others have interacted to forge a unique cultural and racial blend. So the Philippines is the best strategically spot in Asia, from the Philippines you can go to different parts of Asia.In addition, surrounding by the seas, the Philippines has a lot of beaches, which will bring boom of tourism to the country and promote the development of its economy. Disadvantages However, coins always have two sides. The unique location of the Philippines results in the earthquakes, typhoons, floods and humid heat. The natural disasters and healthy problems cause the huge loss to the local economy and have a bad influence to the country’s global business. Furthermore, owing to surrounded by water, the Philippines prone to storms. Another thing about being surrounded by water is Filipinos need to spend more money to reach other countries. Also, the Philippines being surrounded by water isn't safe against other countries too. Since being a neighbor of Giant China, we here are bullied by it, as well as other countries like Malaysia in fighting against "self-proclaimed" our islands like Sabah and the Spratleys.